A Gastonia man was pulled into a wood chipper and killed over the weekend, police said.

Officials believe Mason Scott Cox, 19, was attempting to kick a limb into the chipper when he got pulled in. The incident happened around 12:37 p.m. Saturday on Hawthorne Road in Kings Mountain.

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The company, Crawford Tree Service out of Belmont, was cutting down trees in a yard. The Department of Labor and Kings Mountain Police are investigating. They say the death was accidental and no foul play is believed to be involved.

Cox was found inside the wood chipper and pronounced dead on scene, officials said.

Cox's family spoke to WBTV in an interview Monday morning. Cox's mother, Debra Sisk, said the teen had very limited experience in the tree removal industry, but had worked on cell towers before. She questions whether he was being supervised when the accident happened.

"It was his first day on this job. He was trying to find work and he had been putting in applications," Sisk explained.

She said she got the phone call about the accident Saturday afternoon and said it was horrifying to learn how her son had died.

"I just started screaming when I found out how he died. It's bad enough that's he's gone," she said.

Family members said they currently have no plans to contact the company Cox was working for. They said they aren't angry over the incident, but they would like to know how the accident happened.

"I loved him very much and I'm going to miss him very much," said Cox's mother.

Jon Crawford, owner of Crawford Tree Service, spoke to WBTV about the incident in an interview over the phone. He said Cox was working for him as a subcontractor Saturday, He said he still isn't sure how the accident happened.

"The limb must have grabbed a piece of his clothing and took him into the chipper," said Crawford.

The business owner said that the work site was safe and Cox wasn't performing any tasks too difficult for a beginner.

"I've been in the business for 26 years. I've had one other accident where a person was injured. Mason Cox was working side by side with two experienced employees," Crawford said.

He said the incident has left him filled with grief.

"I have not slept. I am sick from it," Crawford said. "I would trade places with that child right now."

He said his business is going to temporarily close because of the incident.